Military museum to admit soldiers in uniform free on graduation Thursdays
February 5, 2018
Starting immediately, U.S. Army recruits in uniform will be admitted free of charge to the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum on graduation Thursdays.
“We’ve noticed that on the day they graduate from Fort Jackson, many recruits bring their families to the museum, as part of their first free day after basic training,” said Allen Roberson, executive director of the military museum. “For the foreseeable future, we’ll help them celebrate by letting any new soldiers in uniform in free on those Thursdays.”
Founded in 1896, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is an accredited museum focusing on South Carolina’s distinguished martial tradition through the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the War on Terror, and other American conflicts.
It serves as the state’s military history museum by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting South Carolina’s military heritage from the colonial era to the present, and by providing superior educational experiences and programming. It is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia, sharing the Columbia Mills building with the State Museum.
Original uniforms, flags, weapons and other artifacts tell the story of the Palmetto State’s strong martial traditions.
In addition to its permanent exhibits, the museum features special exhibits such as a recent one marking Fort Jackson’s 100th anniversary, and a current one celebrating the history of the U.S. Army’s 360th Civil Affairs Brigade, a Reserve unit of South Carolinians based at Fort Jackson. Originally known as “Thurmond’s Brigade” because it was first commanded by the legendary U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, the unit has included many prominent South Carolinians on its rolls over the years.
In the immediate future, the museum is preparing a major exhibit marking the involvement of South Carolinians in the Vietnam War.
The museum also regularly presents educational programs, such as Home School Fridays and the monthly Lunch and Learn lecture, centered on aspects of the state’s military history.
The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month.
Regular admission is $6 for adults 18-61, $5 for seniors 62 and over, $5 for active-duty military and veterans, $3 for youth 10-17, and children 9 and under get it free. Admission on first Sundays costs $1 for those 10 and older.
For more information, go to https://crr.sc.gov/.
